“Indeed, it is a good day,” Radiance gushed, unable to contain her eagerness a moment longer. “I am looking forward to our mission. Mother, this is Mr. Lockwood.”

  Coming in, the geologist gave a smooth and appropriate bow. “I am honored to meet you, Lady Diamond. Your daughter has a keen eye for gems.”

  “Yes,” her mother said, taking Mr. Lockwood’s measure. “She certainly does.”

  Radiance knew her mother was insinuating she had an interest in the man that wasn’t merely professional. Maybe that was because all she could speak of for the past twenty-four hours had been Mr. Lockwood this and Mr. Lockwood that.

  He cleared his throat, perhaps uncertain what to say to her mother’s quip. Then he asked, “Does Lady Radiance take after you in her interests as she does in her features?”

  “Oh, no,” Lady Diamond said. “My daughter is one of a kind in our family. I tend to enjoy reading poetry more than studying gemstones. But my husband has an interest in gold, particularly owning it, so perhaps she takes after him.”

  With that topic exhausted, Radiance hoped to herd Mr. Lockwood toward the door.

  “As soon as I send for Sarah,” Radiance said, “then we can set out.”

  “I shall await you on the doorstep. It was a pleasure to meet you, my lady,” he said to her mother before retreating.

  Her mother called after him. “I trust you will keep my daughter safe and take fine care of her.”

  After a pause in the doorway, Mr. Lockwood nodded, sent Radiance a wary look, and departed the drawing room.

  She rounded upon her mother. “What are you doing?”

  “I like that young man,” the countess said with a satisfied nod.

  “May I remind you that you have only just met him?”

  “Regardless, I can appreciate his fine appearance, obviously appealing to you. Moreover, he looked me directly in the eye, spoke well, dressed tidily, and thinks you are wonderful.”

  “He never said any such thing.” Radiance thrust her head around the doorway and into the hall. “Mr. Dunley, please tell Sarah we are ready to leave.”

  Then she glanced back at her mother. “Don’t start matchmaking. But I’m glad you like him.”

  “Ah ha! You are interested in him in a romantic way.”

  Radiance’s cheeks warmed. “There isn’t much not to like about him, I admit.”

  “And he is unattached,” the countess added.

  “How do you know that?”

  Her mother shrugged. “Your father and I would never let you interact closely with a man without first doing our due diligence and having him investigated.”

  Radiance had to close her mouth and breathe in some patience. “When did you have time to do that?”

  “Before you went to a second lecture.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “That was absurdly premature.”

  “Maybe so,” her mother said unconcerned, “but at least we weren’t caught out when you said you had accompanied him to Mr. Hope’s home and intended to be his guest at the Palace. Imagine if we’d had to hire someone to investigate him on such short notice.”

  Radiance supposed her parents were used to marriageable daughters and the men who caught their eye. She was the third, after all. By the time Bri found someone who interested her, Lord and Lady Diamond would probably already have the man’s shoe size.

  “Do not keep him waiting,” her mother said, “or the Queen.”

  Radiance nodded and joined Sarah in the foyer. Examining her bonnet in the hallway mirror and seeing it perfectly situated, she smoothed her hands down the front of her dress before allowing her maid to drape her mantle in the matching shade of pale green around her shoulders.

  After tugging on her gloves in the blink of an eye, she and Sarah were out the door and aided into the awaiting carriage by Mr. Lockwood himself.

  He’d secured a four-seater cab, with plenty of room for Radiance and her maid on the forward-facing side.

  “Have you been to Buckingham Palace before?” Mr. Lockwood asked when they were underway.

  “Yes,” she said, “but not without my mother and sisters.”

  He nodded. “You are probably more knowledgeable of the ways and customs of court life. I fear I am always putting my foot in it.”

  She liked his self-effacing manner. But after his conversation with Diana, she could well believe it. Still, she decided to be encouraging. “You have seemed entirely capable in any situation in which I’ve seen you so far.”

  “I am in my element in a lecture hall or with a straight-forward individual such as Mr. Hope.”

  Radiance considered whether he was speaking in jest and decided he was serious.

  “If I catch you doing anything inappropriate, I shall ... I shall tap my chin with my pointer finger, like so.” Radiance did precisely that. Her sister Purity would surely approve of her attempting to help someone in a social situation.

  “Very well,” Mr. Lockwood said distractedly, looking out the window as they rode into the Palace’s central courtyard and under the cover of the West Portico’s entrance.

  In the next instant, he hopped out while the carriage was still rocking and, before the driver could descend from the dickey, assisted first Radiance and then her maid.

  “M’lady,” Sarah whispered, halting and staring at the awaiting footman and then up at the royal residence’s façade of creamy golden Bath stone. “I cannot go in there.”

  “She is your Queen, too,” Radiance reminded her. “Don’t forget, you are every bit a subject of the Crown as I am.”

  “Yes, m’lady, but —”

  “I shall allow no buts,” Radiance interrupted. “If you cannot bring yourself to look upon the face of Her Majesty or have her look upon yours in return, then you may stop just outside the chamber. But you will come inside with me.”

  Radiance didn’t know where her fortitude was coming from, but she was giving herself the same orders as she gave to Sarah, except she wouldn’t be allowed to remain in the hallway of the Queen’s drawing room.

  “This way,” said the footman, who had obviously been awaiting them. “Our Lord Chamberlain requested I take you and her ladyship directly to Her Majesty upon your arrival.”

  Radiance’s nervousness blossomed like a rose in June. This was no ceremonial situation, such as being presented to the Queen at the tender age of sixteen. She was going to see her as an adult female with thoughts in her head, not as a vacuous debutante who had eagerly accepted the monarch’s kiss upon her forehead, the same as was offered to every daughter of the peerage.

  Her stomach did a queer flip when they walked up the gilded grand staircase, craning their necks at the larger-than-life paintings.

  Luckily, before Radiance could think too much more about what she was doing there, it was too late. The footman invited them to enter Queen Victoria’s drawing room overlooking the Palace gardens. As suggested, Sarah stopped at the double doors, practically melting into the wallpaper.

  With a nod to her, Radiance continued into the magnificent room where more of the Queen’s footmen stood next to a door at the far right. In between was a floor-to-ceiling window of more panes than she had time to count. There was a tapestry-covered wall and another with an equally massive painting of an ancient battle. Under their feet was a richly weaved carpet, and overhead hung a vastly oversized chandelier that Radiance knew she could swing from without doing it any damage whatsoever.

  Without a bevy of white-clad young ladies whose mothers fussed with their long trains, as well as their honored relatives and sponsors looking on, the room seemed even larger than she recalled.

  Through the entire time from the cab to the reception room, Mr. Lockwood had walked silently beside her.

  “Here we are,” he said unnecessarily.

  “Yes,” she agreed.

  Thankfully, they weren’t in the intimidating throne room, in which formal balls were held and dignitaries were hosted, although there were two thrones in this room as well. Radiance wondered if the Queen always needed one for when she decided to sit in the presence of visitors.

  “You have been here before?” she asked, as they strolled to the other end, halting a few feet before the golden thrones with the red velvet seats, one ever so slightly smaller than the other. “To this room, I mean?”

  “Yes,” Mr. Lockwood said. “The few times I’ve been summoned, it has been to this room.”

  “I have been here, too,” she said.

  He didn’t ask her about it but merely nodded.

  Radiance thought he looked nearly as discomfited as she felt. Who could blame them? There was something awe-inspiring simply about being in the Palace, let alone speaking with the Queen.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Pardon?” Radiance jumped at his tone. “What am I doing?”

  “You were humming.”

  “I wasn’t. Was I?”

  “You were,” he sounded uneasy. “I would not if I were you.”

  “I shall not,” she promised. “I didn’t realize ...” Radiance trailed off as a ripple went through the room — of seriousness and grandeur and gravitas. Each liveried footman stood straighter and seemed to hold his breath.

  Somehow, they knew Her Majesty was approaching.

  Chapter Ten

  Queen Victoria entered, arriving via the door behind the thrones, with two royal guards following. Radiance immediately dropped into a low curtsy, seeing Mr. Lockwood’s equally deep bow out of the corner of her eye. They awaited permission to straighten and to speak.

  “Good day, Mr. Lockwood,” the Queen said. “I understand you have brought with you a new treasure.”

  Being addressed, Mr. Lockwood could rise and look upon his Queen. “Your Majesty, I am honored to see you again. May I introduce to you Lady Radiance, a daughter of the Earl Diamond.”

  “You may,” Queen Victoria said. “In fact, you just did. Rise, Lady Radiance, so I may see if your name suits your face.”

  With her heart pounding so loudly she was certain both Mr. Lockwood and the Queen could hear it, Radiance rose from the deep curtsy for which she’d rehearsed many times during the past twenty-four hours.

  Radiance couldn’t help taking the Queen’s measure. When she’d been presented to Her Majesty a few years earlier, she’d been so nervous with her knees knocking together, Radiance could hardly recall any details. And when it was her turn, she had hurried to approach the throne and then back away while not even seeing the Queen’s face — not that she could remember, anyway.

  Other times, at the Palace with her parents, she’d been too far back in the throng to see more than an impression of the Queen’s crowned head of light-brown hair and her ermine cloak.

  Trying not to stare, Radiance now took in Her Majesty from foot to head as she raised her eyes. A short woman of thirty-three, a wife and mother, Queen Victoria had been their ruler already for fifteen years.

  Radiance thought her splendid. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence, her hair shone, and she had a pleasant face.

  “Your Majesty, I am honored to be in your presence.”

  “I thought you’d left your tongue in the antechamber,” the Queen quipped.

  Mr. Lockwood started to laugh. Radiance saw the moment Queen Victoria’s face went from approving to annoyance with the smallest of frowns. He was laughing too long and hard at nothing, probably due to nervousness. It would be considered a mocking insult.

  Swiftly, Radiance coughed to get his attention and then tapped her chin. To her relief, he stopped at once and regained his sensible manner.

  “Has the Crown Jeweler arrived?” he asked.

  The Queen shook her head. “To my knowledge, no. I wanted to speak with you first. As Mr. Hope has probably informed you, we have more than one issue at hand. First, there is the matter of —”

  The door behind her opened, and Prince Albert entered.

  Radiance dropped into her practiced curtsy again and saw in her peripheral sight that Mr. Lockwood was once more bowing low.

  “Please rise,” His Royal Highness said before he addressed his wife. First, he bowed to her and then took the hand she offered. “My love, I hope you don’t mind my tardiness. I was making sure Sir Ellis had brought the model and that the original is nowhere nearby. With a nefarious individual determined to perpetuate such monstrous deception, we must be equally determined not to let anyone get near the Koh-i-Noor.”

  “As always, I welcome your thoughtfulness, dearest Husband,” Queen Victoria answered. “I was just about to tell Mr. Lockwood and Lady Radiance about our problem, but I am happy to have you take over.”

  With that, Queen Victoria wandered toward the thrones and sat upon the larger one.

  Radiance nearly laughed at the way the Queen plopped herself down, as if she were any female enjoying getting off her feet rather than the most important ruler in the world.

  Unable to take her gaze from their pretty monarch, Radiance only half listened to Prince Albert discuss something manly and uninteresting about a recent incident at Tattersall’s horse auction. From what she’d gleaned of Mr. Lockwood, he probably wasn’t interested, either.

  Then suddenly, the prince switched topics, mentioning the two stones that had already been pilfered, one from a coronet and one from a brooch. He had Radiance and Mr. Lockwood’s full attention.

  “We would never have discovered the forgery if Her Majesty hadn’t dropped the brooch —”

  “It slipped off,” Queen Victoria corrected.

  “Indeed,” Prince Albert said. “Unfortunately — or as it turned out, fortunately — the brooch happened to fall onto a marble floor, and the main stone, a large sapphire, popped out.”

  “My husband gave it to me as a wedding gift,” the Queen said, obviously irritated.

  The Prince Consort went to her side and patted her hand.

  “When we gave the brooch to Mr. Garrard to repair, since it was his shop that made it for me twelve years ago after he became the Crown Jeweler, he came in person at once to say the sapphire was not the original. It wasn’t even a sapphire, but a —”

  “A blue spinel,” Mr. Lockwood said.

  Radiance began to tap her chin again to stop any further offensiveness such as interrupting royalty. Not heeding her, he continued, “As is the Black Prince's Ruby or the Timur Ruby, both red spinels.”

  The royal couple stared at him for a long moment. Radiance wanted to slap a hand to her forehead and another over Mr. Lockwood’s mouth.

  “Have I yet expressed my appreciation for your pointing out during the Exhibition that the Timur Ruby was actually a spinel?” the Queen asked.

  Radiance cringed at Queen Victoria’s tone, which was anything but appreciative. It must have been a shock to learn that the ruby sent over with the Koh-i-Noor was not a precious stone.

  By bringing it up, she feared Mr. Lockwood, despite his best intentions, had put his oar in where it wasn’t wanted. This was proven a correct assessment when the Prince Consort folded his arms, leveling a glare at the enthusiastic geologist.

  “While we are grateful for your discerning eye, the so-called Black Prince's Ruby is currently in Her Majesty’s crown, set there by Rundell and Bridge,” Prince Albert stated, “and we shall continue to call the stone thusly.”

  Clearly, he wished to drop that avenue of discussion. “Regarding the sapphire, you are correct in thinking it was switched for a spinel.”

  “Did Mr. Garrard take responsibility?” Mr. Lockwood asked.

  “No,” the Prince Consort said. “He has been our trusted Crown Jeweler for years. The brooch had been cleaned at his shop a mere month earlier. That was now three months ago.”

  “Then Your Royal Highness has discovered the culprit?” Mr. Lockwood asked. Radiance thought that a sensible conclusion.

  “We thought so, and thus, sent a constable directly,” Prince Albert said. “The man who had worked on the brooch was arrested.”

  Radiance felt a measure of relief. But it was short-lived.

  “That was not the end of it,” Queen Victoria chimed in. “Not even the beginning of the end.”

  “The Queen is correct,” the Prince Consort said, looking fondly at his diminutive wife. “The sapphire has not been recovered. Moreover, the fake gem caused a bit of a ruckus around here. We had an inventory done, and each piece was examined by Mr. Garrard and his employees.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Mr. Lockwood said. “I was invited by him to watch two jewelers while they worked, but he didn’t tell me why.”

  “What did you observe?” Queen Victoria asked.

  “Your Majesty, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. The men dutifully examined and recorded each stone.”

  Prince Albert nodded and crossed his arms. “That is true. But you were not here when an emerald popped from a coronet, which had been recently cleaned by a different jeweler, the House of Neble. As feared, it too turned out to be a fake stone.”

  The Prince Consort drew the two stones from his trouser pocket and held them out to Mr. Lockwood. He picked up and studied the blue spinel first. Then he looked at the green stone.

  Drawing out magnifying spectacles from his pocket, Mr. Lockwood held the stone up to light. “A tourmaline, I believe.”

  “That’s what Mr. Garrard said,” Prince Albert confirmed.

  “May I ask, Your Majesty,” Radiance began, having finally found her voice, “had the same man who was already under arrest also cleaned the coronet?”

  “A good question,” the Prince Consort said. “Unfortunately, the answer is no. Mr. Minton, the forger of the sapphire, was already at Newgate. Thus, we suddenly had a riddle. Moreover, they were not even cleaned at the same time.”

  “One might have been altered months earlier, if not years,” Mr. Lockwood said.

  “Unlikely,” Radiance put forth her opinion. “While it sounds as though the forger is an excellent jeweler, substituting a stone, especially when done with haste, without altering the setting at all causes problems of durability. Thus, the stone only remains in place for a short period of time until some duress is put upon the piece.”

  Prince Albert glanced at the Queen. “She does have a good head,” he remarked, and Radiance felt a surge of happiness clear down to her toes.